Google stops selling Pixel and Pixel XL on its online store

While you might still find the Pixel and Pixel XL being sold by third-party vendors, you won’t be seeing these Google smartphones in the company’s own online store. Google confirmed with The Verge that they are no longer selling the original Pixel phones. You’ll have to look elsewhere to get one. With Google pushing the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, it makes sense for them to take out the previous generation phones.

Pixel owners get behind the scenes look at 'Isle of Dogs' movie in VR

If you’re a Google Pixel owner (either generation) and are a fan of Wes Anderson, you’ll want to hear about this latest news from the company. Owners of these Google-branded devices get exclusive access to behind-the-scenes footage of the stop-motion film Isle of Dogs. The film is set in Japan and follows around a boy who goes on an epic adventure to find his dog.

The movie itself comes out at the end of March but for now Google Pixel owners just need to hop onto the Google Spotlight Stories app to access 360-degree virtual reality experience of the film. It’s advisable to use a Daydream View headset to get the full experience. On March 2, Isle of Dogs Behind the Scenes in VR will be available in VR, 360, and 2D via YouTube VR and Fox Searchlight YouTube app as well as any platform that supports YouTube VR app.

Source: Android Authority

Camera NX brings Pixel 2’s portrait mode to older Pixel and Nexus devices

You might not have the budget to get the Pixel 2 but if you own the first-gen Pixel, Nexus 6P, and Nexus 5X, you can still get access to the new Google devices’ portrait mode. Developer Charles Chow updated his Camera NX app to include the feature. Version 7.3 of the app will let you achieve what the new Pixel devices can do. All you need to do is open the hamburger menu and choose portrait mode and you’re good to go. If you want to read the technical bits of how he pulled this off, you can through this link.

Google Lens shows up on Assistant for Pixel devices

Google Lens, the company’s visual search feature, has been slated to come to Assistant but a definite date wasn’t said when the news was announced. Now, it looks like it’s starting to roll out for both Pixel and Pixel 2 devices. Owners of the original Pixel and XL as well as the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL should be able to launch Lens right from Google’s artificial intelligence helper, taking away the extra step of needing to use Google Photos to have Lens work its magic. Now, the camera button within Assistant will help perform search when you take a photo.

It can do everything from identifying what you’re looking at, look thing sup online, and launch other apps. You can rate the results it finds, which should hopefully help refine its results for the future. The feature isn’t widely available yet so keep your eye out for that. We also don’t know yet if other Android devices will be getting the feature.

Source: Engadget + 9 to 5 Google